The Addict's Collection
by The Rickaboo
Summary: A collection of one shots, featuring crack pairings or just wierd storylines, all the ideas I've had on the side are compiled here. Axel and Kairi, Sora and Olette, Riku and Namine, who are you after?
1. With The Rain

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts I and II belong to Square-Enix and Disney.

**Note: **Welcome to the Complete Collection for Crack Addicts, my new favorite project. If you're looking for some quick crack stories to keep you busy, you found some really odd ones. This is where I'll be putting my weirdest plotlines and pairings, from K to M, dark angst to cheery fluff. All the one-shots I've written on the side will be archived here for your reading pleasure. Each story will have a summary included in the introduction, maybe later on I'll put in an index to help you wade through them all. Some of the stories can be hard to follow, and some can be kind of dirty, so keep that in mind as you read.

**ALL of the chapters in this story are one-shots, none of them will be more than 1 chapter long. Each chapter will be a separate one-shot!! This story is an archive for my strangest works, including crack pairings and crazy storylines! **I wouldn't stress this so much, but I know this kind of thing is confusing. I have gotten messages from people asking why I hadn't updated a one-shot. I just wanted somewhere to put my crack stories without having each of them submitted as their own story, since my spare time has landed me with quite a few.

Please no flames, this archive is just for fun.

**Summary: **Axel-Kairi. Axel seems obsessive, but maybe Kairi is just missing the point. Either way, midnight visits are best left to boyfriends. Rated T for angsty affection.

…**:With The Rain:…**

The heavy tropical rain pounded fiercely on the roof, followed closely by the howling wind. The occasional burst of lighting lit up the room, the thunder booming in her ears. The window beside her bed rattled precariously and Kairi rolled over to look up at it. Yet another tropical storm raged outside, and the sky was pitch black. She pulled the covers up around her tighter.

It must have been past midnight, but the power was out, leaving her digital clock useless. A chill ran up her spine and she snapped her attention over to the corner of her room, biting her lip nervously as she noticed the dark outline looming against the wall.

Her blood ran cold and she shifted towards the far wall beside her bed, her heartbeat beginning to pound in her ears as the dark shape rose up and slowly started to move forward. The dull thud of boots on her bedroom floor nearly drowned out the pounding rain.

'_Am I dreaming?'_

Kairi knew exactly who it was, the gentle sway of that spiky hair as he walked towards her across the small room. She closed her eyes tightly as if to see if she was awake. Fingertips brushed softly against her cheek, making her flinch.

A flash of lightning and she saw his face, that twisted smile, his flame red hair. Inhaling sharply, she closed her eyes again and felt his hand on her shoulder, pushing her back into the mattress. For his harsh attitude, he was very gentle. She knew what he was here for, he had come for it before, and always took what he wanted with no struggle and no words. What she couldn't figure out was why he came to _her_.

Teeth grazed against the soft skin of her neck, nipping slightly as he trailed up to her jaw. His fingers wound into her hair, drawing her closer as he found her lips.

Axel slid to the side, sighing softly and wrapping an arm around her waist. She drew her arms up to her chest, bracing her hands against him and he hugged her. He brushed his face against her hair for a moment, taking in the sweet scent before moving down to rest his head on her chest. Her heartbeat pounded softly in his ear, and Kairi felt his body relax against her.

After several moments, Kairi let her hands drift up to curl around his neck. Brushing his hair gently through her fingertips, she listened as his breathing evened out. The rain outside had started to calm down, pattering gently against her window as she stared up at the storm clouds.

He did this at least twice a week, sometimes three or four. Not ever saying a word to her, though if he was feeling particularly good she might get a smile and a kiss of thanks before he left. Whatever he did all day wore him out, and he always came to her to heal.

**x:X:x**

_She stared up at him in wonder as he towered over her bed. His hood covered most of his face, but she could see the tell-tale marks under his eyes, signifying who it was. He leaned down slowly, reaching out a hand to touch her hair, brushing his fingers down the side of her face and curling under her chin before he took them away again. _

_Kairi felt a blush color her cheeks, and he pulled back his hood as he leaned in to take a good look at her. His lips pursed thoughtfully and she noticed the corner of his mouth twitch in an almost unnoticeable smile. _

"_What do you want?" She asked shakily, jerking back suddenly as he drew up closer and leaned over her. _

_He didn't answer, but pushed her back onto the bed, pinning her down as she started to struggle. _

"_I'm not going to hurt you." He whispered quietly in her ear, brushing his face against her hair before moving down to bite at her earlobe. His breath tickled against her skin, and she squirmed nervously beneath him. "Got it memorized?" _

_She froze at the seductive tone in his voice, closing her eyes tightly and bighting her lip as she fought to keep from screaming. _

"_Good." He breathed, a morbid grin twisting his lips at her reaction. _

_The next thing she knew, he was curled up in her lap, rubbing her leg as he sighed peacefully. Kairi stared down at him in shock, sitting up carefully when he didn't move. _

"_What do you want?" She repeated, her voice wavering slightly in confusion. Was he going to try and rape her or not?_

_Rolling over slightly, he looked up at her. Reaching behind her, he took her hand and brought it up to rest on his long spiky hair. She rested it there and he closed his eyes, rolling over again to rest his head against her stomach. _

**x:X:x**

A cold breeze bit against her cheek as Kairi finally woke up. She slowly opened her eyes to stare up at the clear blue sky, her small bedroom window open to let the crisp morning air inside. Looking over to her right, the bed was empty once again, the musky scent of sulfur and leather the only indication that Axel had been there at all. He always left before she woke up.

She felt a tug of sadness, quickly brushing it away as she shoved herself up from the bed to get ready for the day.

"Kairi, you look exhausted." Sora said quietly, leaning over to peer at her as she rubbed a hand across her face.

"That storm last night kept me up…" She mumbled, smiling at her two best friends as they watched her doubtfully.

Riku looked over at Sora, shifting his head ever so slightly towards the auburn haired girl questioningly. Sora shrugged, masking the movement by a sharp grab for a piece of chalk resting by his knee. Kairi watched their silent communication out of the corner of her eye, pretending she didn't know anything might be wrong.

She brought a hand up to rest against the cold stone wall of the cave, biting her lip in concentration as she drew rough, jagged lines across the rocks.

"I feel like I'm twelve…" Riku mumbled, glaring down at the worn piece of chalk in his hand. He set it down after a moment and leaned back, watching the other two scratch out crude pictures to add to the museum of childhood artwork decorating the walls.

Sora leaned over suspiciously, watching as Kairi put the finishing touches on her masterpiece.

"Wow, Kairi, that looks just like Axel!" He exclaimed. Her eyes widened in shock and her heart skipped a beat, staring at it in near-horror as her two best friends examined it.

"Yea it does, did you mean to draw him?" Riku asked suspiciously.

Kairi gulped, barely able to tear her eyes away from it long enough to think straight.

"No, I don't know what I was drawing…" She managed to say, dropping her chalk and standing up.

"Maybe you should go take a nap or something, you look really drained." Sora said worriedly. Kairi held a hand to her head and nodded.

She managed to mumbled a quick 'sorry' as she rushed from the cave, her cheeks burning in frustration as she scrambled out onto the sand.

**x:X:x**

Kairi didn't see him for another two weeks. She was starting to think he wasn't coming back.

Rain tapped lightly against her window once again, and her first thought was that he was coming back tonight. He always seemed to follow the rain here, but then again, maybe he brought it with him. She sat in bed, knees pulled up to her chest protectively as she let the wind blow through her hair from the open window. After all, he liked the window open.

This time, she was watching as the portal opened and the tall, hooded figure stepped out onto the wooden floor of her bedroom. She stared up at him nervously once again, his face shrouded by the cloak he wore. His hands were curled into fists at his side and he was shaking.

It was painfully obvious something was wrong.

Axel stepped toward her dangerously and she felt a pang of fear go through her. In moments he was at her side, a hand gripping the back of her neck harshly. She tried to cry out, but he brought his mouth down over hers, her hands flying up to try and push him away. It was no use, he was too strong. He forced her mouth open hungrily, and she could feel just how badly he was shaking.

He finally broke away, leaving her huddled up on the bed in fear as he leaned back for a moment. Pulling his gloves off, he tossed them to the side and pulled down his hood.

Her mind strayed for a moment when she saw the pain in his eyes, and as his lips parted slightly she thought for once he would actually say something to her.

The moment quickly passed as he forced her back onto the bed, hands exploring desperately. Before she could react, he had ripped her shirt off, and her eyes went wide in terror.

"Axel-" He silenced her with another hungry kiss and she struggled against him, covering her bared chest with one arm. She felt hot tears sting her eyes and fought against them.

He broke away again and she tried to wiggle out from underneath him. He grabbed her shoulders roughly and held her still, and she dug her fingernails into the thick material of his coat.

"Stop!" She managed to choke out, a whimper of fear escaping her lips as he pulled her pajama pants away to reveal her soft blue underwear.

She tried to scream, but he covered her mouth with his hand and brought his lips down on her neck again. Tears started to roll down her cheeks despite her efforts, and his hand slipped away.

"Please! Stop!" She whimpered, shaking her head to get his attention.

To her surprise he paused to look up at her. A sharp grimace crossed his features and he relaxed, resting his head on her bare chest and wrapping his arms around her waist.

He was still shaking, and his hurried breath danced across her skin. Her hands flew up to tangle in his hair, and he flinched noticeably, only relaxing again once she started stroking his hair soothingly.

She knew she should kick him out, punch him, scream for help, anything but let him stay there like that. But something about him begged for help, and something in her _wanted_ him to stay.

"What's wrong?" She asked shakily.

He didn't answer, but placed a soft kiss on her breast. After several tense minutes she pushed on him gently and he rolled over, huddling up against the wall as she sat up beside him. She reached down and quickly grabbed her night shirt off the floor, pulling it back on before scooting over to touch his shoulder.

"Axel?" She murmured quietly, almost jumping when he turned to look up at her. His eyes seemed incredibly gentle, even childish.

Kairi found her arms shaking as he pulled her into a hug, kissing the side of her neck softly in apology. He pulled her onto his chest, letting her rest her head somewhat stiffly against him.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly.

He was still there when she woke up.

Her back was pressed up against his chest, one arm wound around her stomach as she hugged her pillow. Axel's breath beat against the back of her neck, and she couldn't help but smile. He mumbled quietly to himself and pulled her closer.

"Kairi?" She shot up when the loud knock sounded on her door and Sora's voice drifted through.

In moments, Kairi was on her feet, nearly jumping in surprise to find Axel already looming over her. A portal opened up across the room and he quickly walked towards it.

Out of impulse, Kairi grabbed his hand, stopping him even as Sora pounded on the door. He looked back at her sadly.

"I have to go…" He didn't want to, she could tell. He leaned in quickly to give her a kiss, and slipped his hand out of her grasp.

The door eased open as the portal disappeared and Kairi threw herself behind the door.

"Sora!!" She shrieked, face turning red as he walked in and noticed her standing there half naked.

He immediately turned around so she could grab some clothes, "Sorry! It's past noon, we were getting worried." He mumbled. Kairi blushed darkly as she struggled into her skirt. Finally dressed, she followed Sora out the door, almost desperate to get him as far away from her bedroom as possible.

She didn't even want to understand what was going on. Axel snuck into her room to sleep next to her, sometimes snuck in a few inappropriate actions, to which she found herself complying. Then disappeared the next morning, and hardly ever spoke to her. She had started hoping he would come, but it seemed like the more she hoped the less she saw of him.

**x:X:x**

Two months went by and there had been no sign of him. Kairi forced herself to laugh at Sora's jokes, and made excuses when Riku noticed something was wrong. She tried desperately to push Axel from her mind, but she just couldn't get him out. She tried to tell herself they were at the very least friends, though it was obvious to her that he saw her as his property.

A hard day of exploring their tropical island and Kairi was exhausted. Her hair was still wet from swimming in the ocean, and she only wore a pair of baggy capris with her swimsuit top. An outfit her mother would frown severely on, but one of her favorites for playing on the beach.

The sun was low on the horizon as she made her way through the trees towards her house. The fading sunlight cast an eerie orange glow on the palm trees around her and she shivered slightly when the cold night air hit her bare skin.

She came along the corner on the dirt path and froze, staring up ahead at the cloaked figure waiting beneath a shadowed palm tree.

He looked up when he noticed her there, his eyes flashing in the half light. His arms were crossed over his chest, and she eyed him carefully as he waited for her to react.

She almost didn't realize what was happening as her feet carried her closer to him, her heart pounding in her ears almost painfully. He had come back, she hadn't believed he would, but he did, and he was here for _her_. His arms fell to his sides for a moment before reaching out for her, and she picked up her pace, nearly throwing herself into his outstretched arms.

He hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair as she rested her cheek against his jawbone. She wasn't sure how she felt, it was like all of her youthful romantic fantasies came true, but something was severely out of place. Maybe it was the fact that she had always seen Sora as her prince, but here she was with one of her childhood crush's enemies. She knew almost nothing about him, but his neutral standing in her life was quenching a thirst she hadn't known she had.

A gloved hand came up to grip her chin, shifting her face back as he pressed his lips to hers. He paused in surprise when she reached up to dig her fingernails into the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Relaxing against her, he brushed his hands down her bare back, feeling the soft skin through his gloves and running his fingers over the base of her back, hesitating before moving his hands down further over the hem of her pants. She flicked her tongue out over his bottom lip in response, and he seemed to hesitate. A small smile caught the side of his mouth at her acceptance, and his lips parted slightly as she braced a hand against his chest.

**x:X:x**

She hugged her knees to her chest, staring up at him as he pulled his heavy black coat on. He glanced back and she looked away.

"When will you be back?" Kairi asked.

Axel sighed. "As soon as I can."

It was the most direct answer she would get, and he wished he could tell her something else. He walked over and sat down beside her, taking her hand. He leaned over to rest his cheek against hers.

"Why me?" She finally asked. He didn't move for a second and she thought maybe she didn't want to know.

"Because." He said simply, kissing her cheek hurriedly and standing up.

Moments later, she heard his footsteps disappear as he walked through a portal, fading out as she hugged her pillow to her chest.

She leaned against the window pane to look out at the dim morning sunlight. Clouds scattered the sky and she smiled to herself.

It looked like it could rain tonight.

**The End**


	2. Dear Roxas

**Disclaimer: **As always, KHII belongs to Square-Enix and Disney.

**Note: **Here's a pairing I've never really heard of, so I thought it would be interesting to try it out. And if it doesn't make sense to you how Olette could know Sora _and_ Roxas, then pat yourself on the back for paying attention to the game.

**Summary: **Sora-Olette. He never really thought of it before, but he really was Roxas. Why would he keep coming back if he wasn't? Rated K, surprisingly enough.

**…: Dear Roxas:…**

He stared up at the pink and orange sunlight glinting off the roof of the mansion, sparkling across the windows and reaching long, colorful fingers towards him in the grass at his feet. The treetops around him glowed brightly, and cast dark shadows on the neglected lawn in contrast. He took several steps forward and placed a hand on the thick metal gate, gripping it for a moment and wondering it if was unlocked.

"Hi, Roxas." The sweet voice said casually, and he let his hand slip from the bar as he turned to look at the girl.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he shoved his hands in his pockets, inching a little closer to her politely.

"I'm not Roxas." He mumbled.

Her smile didn't falter and she turned slightly, her eyes sparkling in the evening light. For a moment he wasn't sure she had heard him speak at all. Then, reaching her arms up behind her head, she arched her back and walked past him to look through the gate at the abandoned mansion.

"He used to come here all the time. I think he liked how peaceful it is, with all the trees." Olette turned to look back at him and he forced himself to look up into her eyes, vaguely aware of how she seemed to simply look through him.

Sora knew there was another reason, battling silently with himself about whether to voice his opinions or not.

"What do you think?" She gave him that same, knowing smile. It almost made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, the way she knew his thoughts just by looking at him. He took a breath and stepped forward again, brushing his fingers over the bars as if he expected them to bite.

"Maybe he was looking for something." He said softly, almost absently as his eyes fell on the window where Roxas had first seen Namine.

"What do you suppose he was looking for?" Olette pressed, determined to get him to open up to her.

He didn't answer and she let herself fall back from the gate, leaning her head on the brick wall instead. She kept her eyes on him, and when he finally looked up at her, she thought she saw him jump very gently, surprised she was still there.

"I don't know. Peace, maybe. Old friends, people he didn't know, but knew he should know. Maybe he was looking for himself, maybe he wanted to know who he was." If it was possible, his voice had grown even quieter, and once again he was surprised she heard him.

A long silence passed between them, and she let her eyes drift over to the abandoned building just past the gate. A strong wind blew through the trees, making them creak and groan. For a moment, Sora was reminded of the long and depressing story they must know. Then she broke the silence again, and he looked down at her.

"Did he ever find what he was looking for?" She asked, her gentle face sad now. It hurt to see her sad, he couldn't hardly stand it. He forced one of his happy smiles on and pulled her into a hug before she could cry.

"Yea, I'm pretty sure he did."

She didn't cry, which also surprised him. They were talking about one of her best friends as if he was dead. Of course, come to think of it, he knew Roxas wasn't dead, but it had never been explained to Olette exactly why her best friend had disappeared only to be replaced by his "twin brother".

**x:X:x**

"Roxas!"

He turned, regretting it instantly when he realized he had once again answered to that name. He couldn't tell why she called him that, other than the fact that he looked exactly like Roxas. All he could really do was hope that she understood he really wasn't Roxas…

"Hey, Olette." He said kindly, unable to stop the smile that graced his face at the sight of her.

"I bought you ice cream." She said sweetly, handing him a blue popsicle.

He stared down at it in surprise. It wasn't the first time he had eaten the sea salt ice cream, but he hadn't expected someone to just randomly buy him one, especially not a _girl_. As mature as he liked to think he was, he couldn't stop the blush that colored his face as she beamed up at him, waiting to see his reaction.

"Wow, thanks, Olette!" He said quickly, letting her grab his arm and lead him along.

He glanced back for a moment at the two friends he was apparently leaving behind, giving them a helpless look as Donald glared and Goofy laughed. They had been in the middle of restocking their supplies, but he was sure they could do it without him. And judging by the grip Olette had on his arm, he didn't have much choice anyway.

Sora watched in amazement as she finished her ice cream in record time, it was obviously a daily tradition.

She didn't say much during their trip through town. They passed the same stores and streets several times before Sora realized she was stalling for time. She wanted to spent time with him, and she knew he was leaving soon. He couldn't help the twinge of sadness at having to part their separate ways in the morning. It wasn't often that he got to have real friends, even if it was a girl with a crush.

That thought made him blush again, and he stared down at the blue ice cream. He tasted it carefully, and noticed Olette watching form the corner of his eye. He couldn't say it was his favorite, but it wasn't as bad as he thought it might be.

Her fingers brushed over his knuckles and his muscles tensed automatically. He held his breath in surprise as she wound their fingers together, but she had done it with such stealth he couldn't bring himself to look over at her and acknowledge it. After another twenty minutes she took him back to the items shop, lingering just long enough to mutter a bashful goodbye before walking slowly down the street.

**x:X:x**

He didn't know what had come over him, glancing back and forth down the street. They were supposed to have left an hour ago, and he was busy running from Donald and Goofy. She hadn't shown up to see them off with the others. When he asked Hayner and Pence where she was, they got slightly defensive and denied knowing anything. And so here he was, desperately trying to find her, with no real knowledge of why it was so important.

He didn't know how, but he knew exactly where he was going. Something in the back of his mind was feeding him instructions, telling him which sidestreets to check, what road went where, and the most likely places she might be. He knew it was Roxas, but didn't question it at the time as he jogged up a steep hill and paused to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Glancing up, he could see the outline of a person leaning against the railing up above, and his heart leapt in his chest.

He walked up behind her quietly, pausing again several steps away.

"Olette…" He said softly. She smiled to herself and turned.

"Hi, Roxas." She said with a grin.

Sora's smile faltered and he stepped closer, head falling slightly.

"I'm not Roxas." He whispered.

Olette's grin faded and she gazed at him sadly, thinking about his words before hot tears began to sting her eyes. Without even thinking, he leapt forward and pulled her up against him, suddenly not able to see her cry. She gripped a handful of his shirt and he felt her shoulder's shake gently.

"I know…" She said softly. But he could see the doubt in her eyes when she looked up at him, and then she was forcing a smile to try and keep him from looking so sad.

He couldn't hardly move when she kissed him. He just stood there in dumbfounded shock at the sensation of soft lips against his. When she pulled back again he didn't even notice, eyes half closed in ecstasy.

"Don't forget to come and visit, Roxas." She said happily, beaming up at him as he slowly opened his eyes to track her as she started to walk away again.

She was out of sight by the time feeling returned to him, and he brushed shaky fingers across his mouth. A smiled crossed his features and he shook his head.

Roxas or not, how could he ever forget to come and visit?

**The End**


	3. Empty Place

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts II belongs to Square-Enix and Disney, I just write fan fiction as a hobby.

**Author's note: **So here's a Valentine's Day special. Yippee. I'm taken and I still HATE Valentines Day. My attempt at a first-person story, which I may never try again.

**Summary: **AU Namine-Riku. It Valentines Day, but that doesn't mean she's going to ask him out.

**.:Empty Place:.**

I saw him every day, always the same look on his face, always with those headphones on, and he was always wearing that same scarf, covering the perfect chin and neck I had only seen on a few rare occasions. The corner of his mouth turned down in a gentle frown. His skin was pale, and his silvery hair fell down past his shoulders, making those startling aqua eyes even more brilliant.

I loved him. With all my poor, aching heart.

A sudden thump behind me and I jumped, tearing my gaze away from his face to stare over at the crude bus driver in surprise. There was a jolt and the bus was moving again, barreling down the busy city streets haphazardly.

"Better find a seat, honey." The driver mumbled over to me, his hardly shaven face nearly hidden by the bags under his eyes. I gave him that same smile I give him everyday, he was always the one driving the morning shift while I'm on my way to school.

Pulling my bag over my shoulder again, I trudged down the aisle. The squeak of the windshield wipers echoed past me as I walked shakily towards the back of the bus. No one spoke, the bus was usually very quiet in the morning. People were tired, not wanting to go to work or school, avoiding each other's stares and only letting out the occasional cough or sneeze. I found it charming, in a way.

My eyes darted over to his seat, and as always, he was staring out the window. A smile graced my lips and I paused for a moment to look at him again. I always found it romantically corny, but he was exactly what I had always imagined an angel would look like.

How I wished I knew his name…

He shifted and I knew he was about to glance over at me to see why I had stopped moving. Quickly finding a reason to adjust my bag and let out a soft curse, I managed to make it look like the strap had gotten stuck to my belt, conveniently requiring me to turn away from him to fix the problem.

I quickly made my way to a seat in the back, already feeling ashamed of myself once again. He was all I could ever think about. I don't know why, and no matter how hard I tried, I could never find the courage to speak to him. He had never smiled at me, barely even looked at me, just sat in the same seat every morning listening to his headphones and looking out the window.

Another twenty minutes ticked by and I watched sadly as our bus pulled in to the transit center, parking along the curb to let everyone off. This was the end of the line, from here I would catch a light rail train into the heart of the city to go to my art college, and he would catch the trail heading the opposite way to go to whatever college he attended. I knew he was a student, he carried the same backpack everyday, and sometimes when I got on the bus in the morning I would catch him doing homework. I had even looked up some local colleges to see which one he might go to. I still had no idea.

I watched over my shoulder as his train arrived and he disappeared through the doors. I wouldn't see him until tomorrow morning, the highlight of my day was gone...

**x:X:x**

I woke up early the next morning with a stomach ache. I could tell before even opening my eyes that it was going to be a horrible day.

Swinging my feet over the edge of the bed, I felt the soft carpet. A sharp beeping erupted beside me and my body jarred in surprise. Pounding angrily on the clock, I silenced the alarm and threw myself to my feet. Time to get ready for school.

An hour later I was rushing through the kitchen for a quick breakfast when my roommate stopped me.

"I can't believe you didn't bother finding a date."

I spun around in surprise as her soft, teasing voice reached my ears.

"What?" I asked blankly, staring at her as she pulled a coffee mug down from the cupboard.

"Tonight, duh. Everyone is going over to Selphie's Valentine's Day movie night. I know you've been dreading it, but really." She looked at me like I was crazy, filling up the mug with water and putting it in the microwave.

My heart nearly stopped beating as I looked over at the calendar. Sure enough, it was Valentine's Day. My favorite holiday to hate. It gave all those happy couples an excuse to grope each other in public, and it gave my friends an even better chance to tease me for never having a date.

"I'm not going." I choked, throwing my backpack over my shoulder and dashing out of the room. Olette stared after me in shock as I hurriedly put my shoes on and threw open the door.

She was calling my name when I slammed it, and I pretended not to hear her. I knew she would just spend all day calling my cell phone, so I turned it off.

Just my luck, it was snowing outside when I left the apartment complex, and I had been too rushed to grab my coat. Whatever, I'd rather freeze than go back for it. Ten minutes of standing at the bus stop shivering and my bus had arrived. The doors slid open and a rush of warm air greeted me as I dashed on board.

My teeth were chattering as I dragged myself down the aisle to my usual seat. I was so preoccupied hating the day that I almost didn't glance over to my left. He was looking at me, a hand poised on his headphones as I walked by, looking completely miserable. I thought for just a second that he was going to say something, those lips parted ever so slightly and he watched me for just a moment too long. My heart skipped a beat, and then he had looked away again, staring down at the floor awkwardly. I brushed past his seat and threw myself down on a seat in the back, cursing myself for not being able to just talk to him. It was so ridiculous, like I was five years old or something.

I stared out the window angrily the entire ride to the transit center.

I was the last person to get off the bus, staring down at the snow covered sidewalk as I wrapped my arms around myself. I didn't even care that my bench was covered in snow, I threw myself down on it anyway, curling my knees up to my chin and staring over to the train tracks. It felt like I was sitting there for an hour until the clattering of the approaching train reached my ears. It wasn't mine, so I looked away again.

The next thing I knew, something had fallen on my shoulder and I jumped, looking around curiously. My hand flew up to my shoulder and dug into the soft fabric. Pulling it over so I could look at it, I realized it was a scarf, a very familiar looking scarf.

I stared over at my silver haired angel, back turned to me as he climbed on board his train. I noticed right away that he wasn't wearing his scarf anymore, but I refused to believe what he had done. No one ever did anything nice for me, they just didn't.

He glanced over at me through the window as the train began pulling away, and I could have sworn I saw him smile.

You'd think I would have been absolutely thrilled. Excited, at the very least. But I just felt sick. I am not what people would consider a social person. I was happy enough just having a one sided relationship from afar. The thought that maybe he had noticed me too had never occurred to me.

Regardless, I wore that scarf all day. It smelled like gentle cologne and lavender shampoo.

**x:X:x**

I didn't want to go home that night, so I did the next best thing.

Knocking softly at the door, I listened for several moments and the faint sound of footsteps reached my ears. A lock clicked on the other side and the door eased open.

"Namine, what are you doing here?" She was surprised, it was pretty obvious. I hadn't talked to her in a few weeks, and I wasn't usually one to just drop in on people unannounced. I smiled warmly and she opened the door farther to let me in.

"Hey, Kairi. Olette's trying to get me to go to Selphie's movie night." I said grimly. She let out a soft giggle and motioned around the small apartment.

"What, you don't like fifth grade sleepovers?" She grinned and led me into the living room.

"Well, you're welcome to hang out, but I was about to leave to go to a real party. Hey, do you wanna come with me?" She spun around and her eyes sparkled energetically.

I hesitated for a moment, I'm really not much of a party girl, either.

"Sure, I've got nothing better to do." Just as long as none of my usual friends were there.

We took a cab all the way to the city center. Apparently, the place where we were going wasn't very far from my school. We were dropped off in front of a tall apartment complex, the kind you would find rich people living in. I'd never even been near one of these buildings, much less inside one. I didn't even know anyone whose family could afford an apartment here.

Kairi walked in with her head held high, completely unaffected. She'd been here many times before, that was fairly obvious as she led me to an elevator and we went up eight floors. Walking briskly down the brightly lit hallway, she stopped in front of one of the only doors on this floor, and knocked loudly.

Several moments passed and the door flew open. I almost gasped in shock when I realized who it was.

"Sora?" I'm sure I sounded retarded and he stared at me for several moments before he seemed to recognize me. Then a pleased grin crossed his face and I knew I was in trouble.

"Namine! Wow, it's been… years!" He cheered, stepping out into the hallway to intrude on my personal space and hug me.

Kairi didn't seem surprised, but cleared her throat a little to demand his attention. He let go of me to attach himself to her, and I looked away before I could get a little disturbed. One thing I wasn't used to seeing was overly affectionate couples.

Sora lead us in after that, and I couldn't help but stare as we entered his apartment. My eyes must have looked like dinner plates as I looked around, and Kairi started to laugh.

"His parents pay for it for him." She said proudly, one hand rubbing his shoulder and the other reaching out to tug me further into the room.

I didn't know anyone, and a lot of people stopped to give me strange looks. The living room alone was enormous, at least the size of my entire apartment. There were two expensive looking couches over to one side, with a huge plasma TV and several game systems. A couple of boys were fighting on one of the games, and people were standing behind them shouting encouragement. I glanced over to the other side where Sora was leading us, and realized in nervous horror that he had set up a small bar beside what appeared to be a mini buffet table.

He poured a drink for Kairi, and she gave him an unenthusiastic smile before sipping at it. I floated behind her, hoping to disappear when I realized a few of the people in the room were more than pleasantly drunk. He leaned past her and, to my horror, offered me a mixed drink. I shook my head a little violently, and he gave me an odd look before taking it himself and winding an arm around Kairi's waist. They started to wander off to mingle and I stayed behind, wondering what I should do. Looking around nervously, I backed myself against the wall and found a chair.

I'd never felt so out of place in my life, it was more than a little embarrassing. A lot of the girls looked older than me, and all had a slight resemblance to something out of a CosmoGirl magazine. They were all wearing makeup, very fashionable makeup, I noticed. I don't wear makeup. I've been told I don't need it, not that I find anything especially redeeming about my looks anyway.

As if sensing the perfect opportunity to ruin someone's day, a group of girls at least a year older than me wandered over with drinks in hand. They stopped and talked several feet away, occasionally glancing back at me with mischievous smirks. I knew it was going to be bad, but I was starting to not care. Just because I'm a little shy doesn't mean I'm going to roll over and die.

"Hey there, you don't look familiar. What sorority are you in?" One girl asked, leaning down next to me curiously and flashing me a vicious grin.

I smiled warmly and folded my hands in my lap. "Oh I'm not in a sorority, I prefer to do my own homework." I replied casually, fighting to keep calm as her face fell dangerously.

"Did you come here with someone?" Another girl asked. I knew she was referring to a boy.

"Yeah, Kairi brought me." I said pleasantly, gesturing across the room where she was laughing at something Sora had said.

The girls all exchanged looks and I knew they were wondering if maybe there was something severely wrong with me.

"Do you want a drink?" The girl asked, starting to look a little worried.

"Oh no, I don't drink." I said with a smile, shaking my head.

Several girls in the group giggled and I smiled up at them.

"What school do you go to?" Someone else asked, a little more rude than the other two had been.

"You know the art college a couple blocks from here?" I replied, looking at her like it was really interesting.

There was more giggling and I stood up.

"You know, I have homework I need to finish, I'd better go." I said sweetly, brushing past them for the door. I glanced over to wave at Kairi, and she started after me with a worried look on her face.

I really didn't want to stay, though, and had reached the door before she managed to push through the crowd to stop me. I yanked the door open and glanced back to see her hesitate. I stepped out into the hall, immediately regretting it as I jumped back in surprise. I'm sure my heart stopped beating, and I couldn't seem to breath as I stared up into those aquamarine eyes.

My angel…

I'd never been so close to him before. My face must have been every shade of red imaginable, and I struggled to find my voice to apologize for almost running into him. He seemed equally surprised, however, and the door had since fallen open.

"Um, are you guys alright?" Kairi asked quietly, glancing between us cautiously.

We finally broke eye contact and he shook his head, staring over at Kairi with a smile.

I panicked.

Brushing past him in complete embarrassment, I all but ran to the elevator at the end of the hall. Kairi ran out into the hall and called after me, but I had already slipped into the elevator before the thought of going back even crossed my mind.

I felt like crying myself to sleep that night. I didn't, but I really felt like it.

**x:X:x**

The next morning when I woke up I couldn't hardly drag myself out of bed. Thoughts of the previous night kept flooding my mind, making me want to crawl into a hole. It was by far the very worst Valentine's Day ever.

But I was still wearing his scarf when I waited patiently at the bus stop. I didn't care if he saw me wearing it now.

It had started snowing by the time the bus showed up. I didn't notice until I stepped onto the bus and watched as the sot snowflakes fell from my hair to the dirty floor.

I didn't even bother looking around as I walked down the aisle, I just wanted to sit down and hide in my seat in the back where no one would look at me.

A hand reached out and warm fingers wound into my frozen ones, startling me back to reality. I stared down at him with those wide, nearly horrified eyes, but he didn't seem to notice. He was smiling as he pulled me down into the seat beside him, brushing the remaining snow from my hair and off the scarf I was still wearing.

His grip loosened for a second like he was going to let go of my hand, but I couldn't move and my fingers refused to release him. I stared down at his hand for several long seconds and could feel him watching me. I blushed, badly, and he seemed to drink it in.

We were almost to the transit center when the shock wore off enough that I could glance over at him every few moments. Sometimes he seemed to know when I was watching him and would smile over at me, reassuring me. All my traumatized thoughts of the previous night seemed to vanish in his presence.

And all too soon he had lead me off the bus onto the lightrail platform. I stood next to him, holding onto his hand until his train showed up. My hand fell limply to my side and he paused just long enough to kiss my cheek, then disappeared onto the train.

It wasn't until the train had pulled away that I stepped forward in sudden realization.

I forgot to ask for his name.

_**The End**_


	4. The Artist's Soul

**Disclaimer: **KHII is the property of Square-Enix and Disney.

**Note: **Demyx is my new hero for today. Sorry if anyone is out of character…

**Summary: **Demyx +Namine. Her crush was cute at first, but such feelings within the Organization can get dangerous quickly. Rated T.

…**:The Artist's Soul:…**

She didn't want to know why she was doing it, she didn't really care. The marble was cold beneath her fingers and she held her breath as she peeked around the corner at the young man. His back was turned to her, and he was playing his sitar absently, the soft notes seeming to echo in her soul. It was the most beautiful sound she thought she had ever heard, especially in this dismal castle.

Letting herself sink down to the floor, she leaned her head against the thick marble wall and listened happily. Her eyes drifted closed and she hummed along quietly with his favorite song.

Namine wasn't paying attention when that sly grin crossed his face yet again, and he turned to look back at the corner where she was hidden. Had she been anyone else, he would have gone somewhere private to finish his song.

Footsteps echoed down the bleached white hallway and Namine shot up from her hiding place, quickly scampering off down the hall before anyone caught her there.

"You're encouraging her." A voice said accusingly.

Demyx looked up, the usual soft smile he wore while playing his music disappearing.

"So? At least someone enjoys my music." He shot back, irritated at having his private concert interrupted and his guest scared away.

Axel snorted. "She's just lonely, she would listen if it sounded like shit."

Demyx got up from the bench he had been sitting on and shrugged. He wasn't in the mood to be picked on by Axel. "I don't care, as long as someone listens." He didn't wait for the red haired man to respond before walking purposefully down the hall, his cloak flowing dangerously behind him.

He knew where he could find her, though he also knew he should know better. Turning down another hallway he could see the entrance to Marluxia's garden. The sun was shining about as much as it usually did in that world, but he could see her sitting on the grass beside a flowerbed with her sketchbook across her lap.

He hesitated, sitar in hand as he watched her. She was so innocent, despite Marluxia's mindset that she was secretly an evil genius. To be honest, he found her crush on him absolutely charming. No one in the Organization had ever taken his music seriously but her. She would go out of her way to hide somewhere and listen to him. He had even seen her leaning outside his bedroom door once waiting to see if he would play some music. He had started playing when he noticed her there, he couldn't turn down such an eager audience. But still, there was something so desperate about her. He knew it had to do with how lonely she was, she didn't have a single friend, the closest person to her had been Roxas, and he had abandoned the Organization.

He supposed his weakness for her was that he knew how she felt. Sure, he fit in, but he didn't like it. The constant teasing got tiresome, and fighting really wasn't his thing. Namine, on the other hand, had it so much worse than him he found himself feeling guilty, and it wasn't even his fault she was being held prisoner. He remembered a time when Larxene had shredded the majority of her sketchbook, just because she had drawn a picture of her. She laughed and walked away, leaving Namine to pick up the pieces.

That was the first time he saw her cry. That sketchbook was her life, that was all she had to do, and that was all she was allowed to do.

So he had brought her a new one.

Needless to say, that was when the trouble started. He should have known better than to assume she wouldn't want to find a way to repay him.

He silently cursed himself when he realized that during his reminiscing, his feet had betrayed him and taken him to her side. He glanced down at her and she stared back up with wide eyes.

"Um…" He said dumbly, almost unable to tear his gaze away from her. "Do you mind if I sit here?" He managed to ask, pointing at the grass beside her. She shook her head shyly and he sat down beside her, legs crossed and sitar resting in the grass as he leaned over to peer at her sketchbook.

"Hey cool, that's me, huh?" He said jokingly, pointing at a picture that was obviously Axel and Larxene standing in what looked like a ruined flowerbed. Namine giggled and he couldn't help but smile.

"What? No?" He took the sketchbook and she let out a strangled protest, almost diving across his lap as he held it out of her reach.

"I wanna see." He whined playfully, flipping some pages.

"How about this one, is this me?" He asked, grinning as he showed her another picture.

"No, that's Roxas. Now give it back!" She made a wild grab for it and he flipped another page, pushing her back with one arm and holding it up above his head.

"No way, you can't tell me you'll draw Larxene but not me." He said, watching with interest as she fell back and started to blush.

"Please, Demyx, give it back!" She cried, starting to get nervous as he flipped though it.

And he found the page she was trying to hide.

"Oh, wow…" He breathed, staring at the picture in awe as Namine covered her bright red face with her hands.

It was a portrait of him playing on his sitar, but not scribbled like her drawings usually were. It was perfect in his eyes, by far the greatest drawing she had ever made. Several colors were woven into his cloak, giving it a depth he hadn't been aware she could draw. It must have taken her hours to do it, and judging by the accuracy in the detail of his sitar, she had been watching him while she drew.

"Namine-" He tore his gaze away from it just as she snatched her sketchbook away from him, jumping up from the grass and running as fast as she could. He stared after her in shock for a while, then shrugged and picked up his sitar.

He knew how to calm her down again.

Turning so his back was to the door, he started to play.

**x:X:x**

"What a little freak." Larxene spat, glaring daggers at the small blonde girl leaning against the wall.

Demyx stopped playing for a moment when he noticed the woman standing there, and his gaze traveled over to find Namine standing out in the open. She was getting braver, maybe she finally caught on that he knew when she was listening.

Larxene's comment didn't go unnoticed, however, as Namine looked up from her sketch pad to give the two of them a somewhat startled look.

"You know, I thought it was just a rumor, but she really does follow you around like a lost puppy, Demyx. You might want to be careful, Marluxia might get jealous!" She crooned teasingly at him.

She made her way over to Namine menacingly, but the young girl stood her ground. Larxene leaned over until their noses almost touched and scowled.

"Don't you know you're not even supposed to be out here? Did somebody forget to lock your cage?" She said nastily, her distaste for the girl proudly displayed. "Maybe you're just not smart enough to know your place. Is that why you waste your time drawing in your stupid little book? Let me see it, you'd better not be drawing anymore shit pictures of your superiors."

Namine cried out in protest as Larxene reached for the book, nearly stumbling as the girl jerked it away and tried to run. Reaching out quickly, Larxene caught her by the back of her dress and growled threateningly.

"Jeez, Larxene, jealous much?" Demyx groaned, leaping up from his seat on the bench. He didn't know much about Namine, but he did now that she was an artist, and she liked his music. That was enough for him.

His statement worked, and Larxene stopped to look over at him dangerously.

"Excuse me, mullet boy?" She hissed, releasing Namine and shoving her away. Demyx started to feel slightly nervous, but when he saw the fear in Namine's eyes he straightened his posture.

"Well you pick on poor Namine so much, you've got to be jealous because she's so cute and talented." He laughed, grinning widely when Namine's cheeks lit up.

"Why the hell would I be jealous of anyone, especially that memory-mangling witch?" Larxene spat, gesturing rudely at the girl as she tried to inch along the wall towards Demyx.

"'Cuz you're a spiteful bitch with nothing better to do! Why don't you go harass someone else for a change, there's artists at work here." Demyx said haughtily, swinging his sitar around to stand beside him and putting one foot forward in what he imaged was a more rebellious pose. He wasn't particularly a fighter, but something about Namine just _begged _for protection.

"You fucking little-!!" Larxene shrieked, charging forward and throwing Namine out of her way roughly.

The girl cried out in sudden fear as an unfamiliar sound filled the room. She stared around her in wonder as watery images of people danced around, filling the room from wall to wall. She clutched her sketchbook to her chest protectively and realized Demyx was playing a song she had never heard before. It was violent, and she knew immediately that she didn't like this side of him.

She didn't really get a chance to collect her thoughts, however, as someone hauled her roughly to her feet and dragged her towards the door. They stopped suddenly and she almost fell again, stumbling and staring forward with wide eyes as four shining daggers planted themselves in the wall mere inches from her face.

"Shit!" She looked up to see Demyx force her along, shoving her out the door ahead of him and urging her to run as they made it out into the hall. He was laughing, and she could only wonder why as the enraged Larxene screamed obscenities after them, still trapped in the room by his water clones.

"Where are we going?" Namine called out worriedly as he dragged her down a hall she knew she really wasn't supposed to go down, not that it ever stopped her. This was the private wing, and she realized in near horror where he was taking her.

"W-wait!" Namine cried as he shoved open a door and pushed her into his bedroom. She didn't get a very good look at it as he didn't turn on the light, quietly ushering her across the cramped space and into his closet. He leaned his sitar behind the door and ducked in after her, closing it again and locking them in the dark space.

Namine was blushing like mad, there were so many things wrong with what just happened. Her hands were braced against his heaving chest, since there really wasn't anywhere else for her to go. The closet was tiny, and her back was pressed up against the wall. His breath beat down on her as he panted, and she heard a soft laugh escape his throat as she squirmed uncomfortably.

"Partners in crime, eh, Namine?" He sighed, bringing his hands up to grip the girl's shoulders and hold her still. She started to protest when he shushed her.

Footsteps, angry ones by the sound of it. The bedroom door was rudely thrown open, and Namine heard a bitter curse as Larxene surveyed the room.

"When I find you, you little shit…" She growled menacingly, stomping away down the hall.

Demyx let out a sigh of relief, but knew better than to assume the coast was clear. His grip on her shoulders relaxed, and he smiled. That was fun. Maybe he should harass Larxene again sometime.

And uncomfortable groan beside him brought his attention back to the thin girl pressed up against his chest, and he stared down at her shadowed form curiously. He had never been this close to her before, it was… nice. Really nice.

"Sorry about that, Namine." He said, a hint of sadness in his voice. She shrugged halfheartedly.

"Why did you do that?" She asked quietly, still afraid Larxene would come back at any time.

Demyx stared down at her for a moment. He wasn't really sure, he just felt like it.

"I dunno, I guess us artists gotta stick together." He said cheerfully, grinning again and ruffling her hair slightly.

She let out a nervous giggle and his heart nearly skipped a beat. What a beautiful sound, why couldn't his sitar make such a lovely sound?

"What are you doing?" Namine asked in alarm, leaning back as far as she could in the cramped space. Demyx realized then that he had been leaning over towards her, and quickly straightened up.

"Sorry, your hair just smells so good." He admitted, letting go of her arms in apology. She stared at him rather awkwardly. He wasn't very subtle, was he?

They pressed themselves back against their respective closet walls, which still left very little space between them. Namine sighed and slid down to the floor, not worried about her dress hiking up since it was too dark for Demyx to even tell. He followed suit and she blushed again when the tips of his boots tapped against her sandals.

"How long do you think we should hide in here?" Namine asked in a small voice. Not that she was in a hurry to get away from him, in fact, she really enjoyed his company.

"Oh, I dunno, maybe a few hours, knowing Larxene." He replied absently, looking up at the thin lines of light dashed across the ceiling. Namine groaned, hoping he was joking.

"Why, are you bored already?" He added quickly.

Namine almost jumped at the enthusiasm behind his question. "No, I was just-"

"Because I know something we could do to pass the time!" Demyx said mischievously, leaning towards her again for dramatic effect. Namine blushed yet again and was sure she would pass out from all the blood rushing to her face.

"Why do you always hide when you listen to my songs?" He asked casually, leaning back again and grinning at the thoughts he was sure were running through her head.

"Oh, I'm not sure." She said in embarrassment, brushing her hair to the side again and leaning her sketchbook against the wall. "I guess I just assumed you wouldn't want me listening. I mean, you always stop playing when someone comes in the room."

He smiled to himself and reached over to brush his fingertips against her hand. "Aw, Namine, I'd play for you if you asked, you don't have to hide from me. Those other guys just like to pick on me, they don't appreciate good music like you do."

Her fingers tightened around his and his eyes widened in the dark, suddenly unsure of what he'd gotten himself into. He was the older, unobtainable crush, wasn't he? He was supposed to shoot her down and break her heart, that's what older guys are for, isn't it? Now that he thought about it, that role was extremely unappealing. Deciding it couldn't hurt, he held her hand in the darkness and smiled.

"Thank you, Demyx." She said quietly, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb.

He smiled almost sheepishly. She was flirting with him. And he liked it.

"Anything for you, Namine." He said softly, stroking her hand back playfully.

She smiled. Then she started crying.

She didn't mean to, he was just so damn _nice _to her. The tears felt heavy on her skin and she wiped them away hurriedly, the choked sobs escaping her almost making her jump in surprise.

"I'm sorry, it's just…" She giggled, smiling through her tears.

"Oh, Namine, don't cry." Demyx said, nearly panicking as he tried to think of what to do. He'd never had to deal with a crying girl before! Well, she wasn't really crying, just tearing up. But any state of distress was highly disturbing to him.

"Hey, come here." He said softly, tugging on her hand and helping her forward towards him. She braced her hand against his chest and scooted forward on her knees until she was more or less cuddled up against him, and she leaned down against his chest.

He stared up at her through the darkness in shock when she pressed her lips to his. That really wasn't what he had been trying to do, but the sensation sent a shiver down his spine and he was happy to let her do whatever she wanted. He brought his hands up and rested them along her waist, noticing that she was shaking slightly. Hm, she was nervous. Like he'd reject her just like that…

He stroked a hand along her back, trailing it up to her hair and twirling a soft lock around his finger. Her lips were so soft, he could really lose himself in them. At least, to the point that he momentarily forgot that if Marluxia found out about this he would be in serious trouble.

The thought came rushing back all too quickly and he stopped, his eyes flying open to stare up at the girl leaning over him. She pulled back like he had slapped her when he stopped moving his lips, clutching her hands in front of herself and resting on her knees beside his feet. He frowned and wondered why he had ever thought toying with her crush on him was entertaining.

"What's wrong?" She asked nervously, her voice wavering defensively. He sat up and leaned forward, reaching out to stroke a hand along the side of her pale face.

"Nothing, Namine." He said softly, smiling when she pouted at him doubtfully. "It's just that if Marluxia ever finds out about this he'll kill us both."

She wouldn't look at him, and he knew she had been thinking the same thing. He watched her avoid him for several tense moments before heaving a sigh. Holding her face still with one hand, he moved forward and gave her a quick kiss, hoping she could see his smile through the darkness of his closet.

"Come on, I'll play for you." He said gently, reaching down to take her hand and help her struggle to her feet. She was smiling when he cautiously slid open the closet door and stepped out into his dimly lit room.

He took a seat on the bench beside a flowerbed and Namine settled down in the grass not too far away. She held her sketchpad in her lap as Demyx began to play on his sitar, and she smiled happily at the blank page in front of her.

Demyx would play her a song, she would draw him a picture, and they would go their separate ways. If anyone thought it was strange that they got together at least four times everyday to enjoy each other's artistic company, they didn't bother saying anything. It kept them both quiet and out of trouble, anyway.

_**The End**_


	5. Daydreaming Nightmares

**Disclaimer: **KH belongs to Square-Enix and Disney, and I'm not making any damn money from entertaining my fellow fans.

**Note: **I don't know what to say about this, besides that writing it was only slightly traumatic to me. And the title is stupid, but it's only 5 pages long so I don't see any reason to put a lot of effort into a title.

**Summary:** Kairi-centric. Are the Heartless targeting Kairi? Or is it something much worse that's haunting her?

**…:Daydreaming Nightmares:…**

It wasn't an especially beautiful house. Actually, it was downright ugly. The paint was faded and chipping, several boards on the front porch were broken, and moss was growing like carpet on the sides of the house. It was a two story wreck, but she loved it. It looked like freedom to her.

"It's not that bad, we'll have it fixed up in no time." Riku reassured her. She must have been standing there staring up at it for a long time, the reality that they were actually moving out on their own was still catching up to her. She turned to watch as Sora walked by, carrying some more boxes up the steps and into the open front door.

It was _their_ house. They had bought it together, so they could live together. Sure, it wasn't all that great, but it was a start. It was the only thing they could all afford.

**x:X:x**

Kairi was humming, digging through the boxes she had spent all day carrying up to her new room. It had taken an incredible dose of girlish charm, but she had gotten the boys to bring up all her furniture. All she really had to do now was finish unpacking and she would be all settled in.

She should have known something was wrong when she turned around. The sheets and blankets she had just put on the bed were crumpled up in a pile by the door. Kairi let out a sharp gasp of surprise and stared at them, immediately pouting in anger when she decided Sora and Riku were picking on her again. It had been a while, but from time to time they still liked to act like children.

Growling in frustration, she stomped over to grab the sheets off the floor and start over.

The house was quiet when she was done. She snuck downstairs to find the boys, walking quietly through the living room to the kitchen. She peeked around the corner of the doorway, looking over into the kitchen curiously. Nope, they weren't in there. She leaned back and thought for a moment, they hadn't been upstairs, there wasn't a basement, and the downstairs was only so big.

A sharp creak behind her made her jump, and she spun around to stare back at the front door as it flew open. Her heart started to pound and she felt her palms hit the wall as she started to press back against it.

"Hey, Kairi. What's the matter?"

Kairi let out an irritated sigh as Sora wandered in, holding a pizza box.

"You scared me! Where were you?" She snapped, watching as Riku walked in behind him and shut the door.

"We told you, we left to go pick up some pizza!" Sora said defensively, holding the box out like a peace offering.

She couldn't remember them telling her they were leaving, and she felt a little hurt that they hadn't asked her to go with them, but she was hungry enough to forget it and focus on the box Sora was waving in her face.

**x:X:x**

She was helping Sora paint when Riku left for work. She didn't really think much of it, he went to work everyday.

"Hey, Kai, can you go grab more masking tape?" Sora asked, realizing he had forgotten to tape off a window. Rolling her eyes, she stood up from pouring more paint and walked down the hall to the living room. The painter's tape was sitting in a box next to the fireplace, and she was humming softly to herself when she kneeled down to pick it up.

A reflection in the glass door of the fireplace caught her eye, and she glanced up to see a face that was _definitely_ not hers. Angry orange eyes narrowed at her through the dirty glass, sneering distastefully at her.

Letting out an loud shriek, Kairi threw herself back in terror. She knocked over a pile of boxes and fell down, struggling for a moment before jumping back to her feet and dashing from the room. She had made it out of the doorway when Sora grabbed her, holding her shoulders tightly and looking around in alarm.

"Kairi! What's going on!?" He asked quickly, pulling her close and backing up as she stared back at the living room doorway in terror.

"I saw someone! In the fireplace! They were glaring at me through the glass!" She cried, hands gripping his shirt so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

"What? In the fireplace?" He asked in confusion, leaning over to glance into the living room. She couldn't seem to let go of him, so he pulled her into the room with him. She was shivering gently when he leaned down to peer into the fireplace doubtfully. After a few moments, he pulled open the door and leaned in.

"I don't see anything in here." He said gently, looking up at her. "Are you sure it wasn't your reflection?"

He'd never gotten such a dark glare from her before.

**x:X:x**

Convincing herself it was a figment of her imagination, Kairi crawled into bed well after midnight. Her hands and arms were tired from rushing to finish painting the entire first floor of their new house, and she was happy to curl up under her covers for some much needed sleep.

She was dozing lightly, drifting in and out of sleep, with the peculiar sense that someone was watching her. Shaking it from her mind, she squeezed her eyes shut and ignored the feeling. She was tired from a long day of working around the house, it was just in her imagination.

The door creaked softly as it fell open, and a shiver ran down her spine. Shifting slowly, Kairi peered through the darkness around her to the open bedroom door. Nothing. She smiled grimly to herself, trying to find humor in her over active imagination. Ruffling the covers slightly, she settled herself back down and took one last look around the room. A tall dark form was huddled behind the door, she could see its back moving up and down as it breathed.

Kairi froze in terror and clutched her blankets tighter around herself, staring at the shape with wide eyes. It straightened up and two orange gems appeared in the darkness, staring straight into her soul as she watched it. It started towards her with lurching steps.

She screamed and fell back into the wall behind her bed, kicking violently at the blankets to free herself so she could run. Run where? It was standing in front of the only door in the room! A long arm reached out to her, and she squeezed her eyes shut and screamed louder.

Arms wound around her shaking form and she fought against it, struggling violently to try and free herself.

"Kairi! What is it?!"

She looked up to see Riku holding her still and looking nearly as panicked as she was. Moments later footsteps pounded down the hall outside her door and Sora appeared, leaning in the doorway and glancing around.

"What happened? Why were you screaming?" He asked quickly, turning on the light.

"There was something in here!" She cried out shakily, almost ripping Riku's shirt when he tried to pull away to look around the room.

She watched as Sora checked every inch of her room, finally closing the door as he checked behind it. He shook his head and moved over to hug her.

"There's nothing in here, Kai. Are you sure you weren't dreaming?" He asked gently. She felt angry tears sting her eyes.

"No, I wasn't dreaming! I saw it! It was right there, and then disappeared when Riku came in!" She stated, pointing at the floor right in front of her bed. The two boys looked at each other doubtfully.

"Stay in here with me, please?" She asked quietly.

Sora sighed. "Alright. Wait here, we'll go get our stuff." He said, grabbing Riku's arm and pulling him out into the hall.

"What was that?" He asked Sora sharply, glancing back at Kairi's room. Sora shook his head.

"She did that earlier today, too." He said in a hushed voice. "She said she saw someone in the fireplace, behind the glass panel."

He followed Riku into his room and helped him pull the blankets off his bed, then moved next door and grabbed his own blankets. They paused just outside Kairi's room.

"Do you think she's just that stressed out?" Sora asked him in a whisper.

"I don't know, she's never done this before." Riku said worriedly.

They put several blankets on the floor in Kairi's room and made up a bed, and settled down to sleep. Kairi clicked off the light, and the boys watched in surprise as she curled up between them.

**x:X:x**

Riku and Sora watched her closely over the following few days. The only conclusion they could really come up with was that something was severely wrong.

They had taken to sleeping in Kairi's room, simply because if they didn't she wouldn't sleep. They didn't mind, but as time wore on they couldn't help but wonder aloud to each other if perhaps Kairi should go to a doctor, or if something much worse was happening to their friend.

"What?" Riku said flatly, staring at the younger boy with a mixture of horror and disgust.

Sora shifted awkwardly under his gaze. "Well… You know. I'm just saying, what if it is?"

"Why would the heartless be terrorizing Kairi?" Riku asked, not even wanting to consider the possibility.

"To get to me..?" Sora replied quietly. Riku shook his head.

"I think if they were that close to us we would know." He said, his voice holding a tone of hopefulness. Sora nodded grimly, glancing across the overgrown lawn at the girl busily replanting the previously horrific garden.

**x:X:x**

Kairi sighed happily. Nothing frightening or unusual had happened in a few days, and she was feeling better. It was just past one in the afternoon, and she was stepping out into the backyard after a good lunch. Taking a moment to look around at the overgrown backyard, she couldn't help but sigh. It was penned in with a tall wooden fence around it, giving them two entire acres of five foot tall grass and a gentle gathering of brush and trees in the back. Glancing around, she was sure she was going to have to replant the grass if there was any hope in taming the backyard.

"Yea, it's pretty bad back here."

She looked back to see Riku and Sora emerge from the house, armed with pruning shears and gloves.

"We might as well burn it and start over from scratch." Riku added, sighing lightly.

Kairi giggled softly and ran her fingers through the grass. "It's not that bad." She said.

The boys set to work cutting back the grass enough to clean up the brush and overgrown trees. Kairi started on the mass of weeds that had taken up living there and threw them into a pile in the middle of the yard. She reached the shade of one of the larger trees and straightened up, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Looking up with a small smile, she watched the leaves of the tree wave gently, the sunlight filtering through the left side. The right side of the tree was in the shade of another tree, and something hidden there caught Kairi's eye.

She watched in horror as a large dark shape moved slowly forward, slumping slightly and then rolling off the branch it was perched on. It hit the ground with a sickening thud and she stared in shock as an arm with long claws appeared from underneath the creature. Another arm appeared and it dragged its broken body forward, leaving a trail of black blood along the ground.

Kairi stepped back and shrieked, tripping over a branch and falling hard on her rear. The creature reached out to her, long claws scraping at the air several feet in front of her.

"Kairi?" Sora asked in concern, leaning in front of her and peering into her fear-filled eyes. Riku leaned in on her other side, and she glanced between them in terror.

"It's there! It's right there!" She shrieked, tears stinging her eyes in fear. She pointed past them, and they turned to look around. Nothing, there wasn't anything there to even suggest any living thing had ever been there.

Kairi stared into dull orange eyes, looking into its ancient wrinkled face. There was something vaguely human about it, and drastically not at the same time, leaning more towards some kind of deformed canine with an oddly human face. It was looking at her, her blood chilling as it opened its mouth and gaped at her. It stopped moving forward, reaching for her and scuffling back slightly instead.

"Kairi, nothing's there." Sora said gently. She was shaking, glancing between him and the broken and bleeding creature that had been tormenting her for the past week.

"It's right there, Sora!!" She screamed, tears running down her face. How could he not see it? He was almost touching it!

Riku looked at Sora in horror, glancing around them and hoping to see something there. But he couldn't see anything, and he stood up and walking in a circle around the tree.

Kairi watched as he walked right past the creature, but they didn't seem to see each other. What was going on? How could they not see it, when it was right there? Its blood was seeping into the parched soil, its claws scraping the ground in what appeared to be pain. It was looking at her, hatred in its eyes.

"Kairi, there's nothing there!" Sora said forcefully, shaking her to try and snap her attention away from whatever she thought she was seeing.

But her eyes were glued to it, lying there in the dirt, reaching out at her, screaming silently at her. How could they not see it? Riku…Sora… How could they not see it?

**x:X:x**

"I'm sorry, Kairi. Maybe next time." Sora said sadly, his hand brushing her cheek gently. She reached up, her fingertips dancing over his skin lightly before he pulled his hand away and turned to the silver-haired boy beside him. Riku smiled down at her reassuringly, leaning over to hug her and pat her on the head.

"Relax, Kai. It'll be okay." He said softly. She stared up at him miserably.

"Please… Don't leave me here…" She whimpered softly. Sora looked like he might cry as he turned and walked out the door. Riku looked down at her miserably, forcing a smile and rushing out the door after his friend.

The door was pushed shut after them, the white-coated nurse smiling brightly at her before it shut, the lock clicking softly.

Kairi drew up into herself, hugging her knees and glancing around fearfully.

It was there, in the upper left corner across the room. It sat there watching her, it was always there watching her. And no one but her ever saw it.

_**The End**_


	6. Shot Me Down

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts II is the property of Square-Enix and Disney.

**Note:** When you really get down to it, Nobodies are like Pirates. They're an extremely romantic concept, but you wouldn't actually want to _be_ one. So here's my thoughts on the subject of Roxas returning to Sora, pretty much exactly what I thought when I played the game the first time.

You may flame accordingly, as I am ruining that fantasy land of everlasting happy endings that Disney likes to use for every one of its movies. Well Square-Enix _likes_ those damn depressing endings, killing main characters and causing sorrow and distress is a trademark for them. There is therefore, **no** guarantee that after the ending sequence everything was all fine and dandy.

**.:Shot Me Down:.**

Why he had ever wanted his heart back, he would never know. Even with a lifetime to think about it.

As it was, he hadn't understood exactly why Sora needed him, he seemed just fine on his own, and even with half of his power missing he didn't seem to find any trouble with the obstacles thrown his way. He supposed it had been pure instinct that forced him to return to Sora, if not curiosity. After all of Xemnas' pep talks, he had really been under the impression that he was a noticeable half of Sora.

This was, in fact, not true. As he soon found out, a Nobody was constructed of the half of a person hidden deep inside their heart and mind. Roxas was the half that no one ever saw, that didn't get to come to the surface, and especially didn't get any acknowledgement from his other self. Like some kind of dog kept on a chain in the backyard, he sat there and waited for the brief moments when he could overcome Sora and influence him. They didn't last long, but gave him a hint of freedom in his eternal prison within the boy's very soul.

So the conclusion he had drawn at the end of Xemnas' war was simply that a Nobody did not truly exist, even when they rejoined their hearts to become whole.

But these were the thoughts that usually occupied his eternity, not having much else to think about while being jostled by the myriad of emotions Sora felt during any given day. If retrieving his heart had done anything to him other than trap him here, it had given him full fledged emotions and everything that came with them. That included fits of anger and moments of suicidal despair.

Of course, it wasn't like he was simply floating in a sort of abyss, existing merely to give Sora that extra boost of power and personality. No, quite the opposite, he had a wonderful view of the islands around him. Day in and day out, he saw through Sora's eyes, heard with his ears, felt what he touched, could even taste what he ate. He supposed it really wasn't much different from the life he would have led had be been himself and not part of Sora, since they were essentially the same. But it also held one vital different, one that brought severe problems with it.

Namine…

She wasn't Namine when he saw her, she was Kairi. And Kairi was very different. Namine was the part of Kairi that sat back and watched, rather than jump forward to act. She was undoubtedly feeling something similar to Roxas, just itching to draw something since Kairi rarely did, and watching the world through someone else's eyes. There was one thing Xemnas had failed to mention; though Nobodies came from an original person, it did not mean they _were_ that person. The moment Roxas had been created he had become his own being, a sort of Sora clone that depended heavily on the original. He had his own mind, which brought forth all kinds of desires and emotions.

But mostly, he just felt pain.

She was right there. So close he could reach out and touch her if he had any real control over Sora. Every so often when he was looking at Kairi, Roxas could see Namine shine through from the other side, the familiar pain in her eyes as well. Sometimes, they would catch a lucky break and Sora would choose that moment to flirt with Kairi, giving them a brief moment together as his finger grazed over her skin, or he ran his hand through her hair, and especially when he hugged her.

But still, he was, essentially, only touching Kairi. She wasn't Namine, no matter how close she was, and this fact was becoming painfully clear to Roxas the more he tried to see Namine instead.

He could feel her presence, that cheerful calm that radiated from her soul. It was so calming, he would forget that he was beginning to hate this new existence of his. He didn't want to be _Sora_, he wanted to be himself. He wanted to hold Namine in his arms and feel _her_ skin and not someone else's. But it was a losing battle, he was part of Sora again, but having been a Nobody, his consciousness had been awoken to that fact. He could even remember a time now when he _had been _Sora. Of course, he didn't remember that as himself, but had found it among his own memories strung in with Sora's from before he really existed.

And not to get him wrong, he didn't hate Sora. Not at all. He would even consider them friends. To be honest, the boy had no real idea of Roxas' existence within his heart until he had been told, and it really wasn't his fault that reality held such unfair rules. It was just that, sometimes, he wanted to go sit in the shade, and Sora would go play in the ocean instead. He was very good at ignoring how tired his body got, though Roxas didn't like ignoring it. And sometimes, things just built up so much he got tired of it, and as soon as Sora's hold on his consciousness slipped Roxas would make a brief escape.

It was little more than an out of body experience. He was a ghostly image of his former self, visible only to other Nobodies. He had no effect on the outside world, but he was able to escape for a short period of time. It depended on how long he was strong enough to hold himself there, or if Sora needed him, and could last anywhere from a few precious minutes to an hour. He always took this time to find her, and if he was lucky, she could join him on the beach for a few quiet moments together. If their images were strong enough, she could rest her head against his shoulder, and he would put an arm around her and they would watch the ocean until it was time to part again.

Namine was standing along the beach, waiting for him again. She smiled, her slightly luminescent blonde hair waving gently in the midnight air. She was transparent, he noticed sadly. It reminded him of what they were every time he saw her, ghosts of themselves, trapped in their own bodies, to remain forever as a mere split personality.

He didn't understand why it had to be this way, why they couldn't slip into the sub consciousness of their others, so at the very least they didn't have to know what they were. Why did they even exist? What was the point of drawing him out of Sora's heart, only to trap him in again with the new knowledge of his fate?

But as Ansem the Wise had told him so long ago, a Nobody doesn't have a right to know, nor does it even have the right to be.

**The End**


	7. Seeking Comfort

**Disclaimer:** I don't own KHII.

**Summary: **Riku+Tifa. Because they need love too.

**..:Seeking Comfort:..**

It was well past midnight when Riku finally stepped out into the cold air of Hollow Bastian. The streets were silent, save for the distant bark of a dog. Stars glimmered brightly overhead, and a soft breeze picked up momentarily. He turned around again as he heard footsteps behind him.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it." He said quietly, nodding at the older man as he put a cigarette to his lips and leaned against the doorway.

"You could stay the night here if ya want." Cid replied, eyeing him carefully. Riku shook his head, and there was a momentary flash as Cid struck his lighter.

"It's alright, I'll be fine." He couldn't even fake a smile at this point, but Cid nodded in response as he took a drag from the cigarette.

"You talk to Leon yet?" He asked as Riku started to walk away. He paused and looked back with a guilty shrug.

"No, I didn't talk to anyone…" He said softly. Cid exhaled sharply.

"Does Sora even know you left?" He asked suspiciously. Riku smiled grimly and shook his head.

"I see… Good luck kid, if ya need anything just ask."

"Thanks." Riku waved and continued down the street. The cold breeze kicked up and bit into his skin, but he couldn't bring himself to care. His shoes scuffed lightly on the cobblestone walkway, it was the only sound echoing off the houses around him.

_He couldn't move for a long time, couldn't even tear his eyes away. His hand still clutched the doorknob in a deathgrip. _

_Sora's eyes were locked on him, and he could see several emotions passing through them all at once. Shock quickly turned into horror, and finally guilt. _

_Kairi moved slowly, pulling the blanket up around herself. Her face was burning red, _

"_Oh my god…" She murmured quietly, her voice wavering gently as she refused to look up at him. _

"_Riku, I…" Sora started, leaning back quickly. _

_His movement nearly pulled the blanket from Kairi's grasp, and he let out a hurried apology as the girl cried out and clutched the harsh fabric to her chest. It was just enough distraction, though, and Riku was thankful for it. _

_He was already back out the door. He walked down the hall, ignoring his two best friends as they called after him. He didn't want to see them, didn't even want to think about them. As soon as he opened the front door he took off running. _

_That was the last time he saw either of them. _

"Riku..?"

He turned slowly when he heard his name, relieved to have been distracted from his memories. It was dark, but there was just enough light for him to recognize the worried face peering up at him.

"Oh my god it really is you!" Yuffie beamed happily, leaning toward him to get a better look at his face. It didn't take her long to realize something was wrong.

"Wait… Where's Sora? Are you alright?" Concern filled her voice and he shrugged it off.

"I'm fine, just needed some time away." His voice was quiet and harsh, and Yuffie stared at him with concern.

"Umm… What are you doing out here? Do you need somewhere to stay?" She asked quietly, sensing the amount of distress he was in.

He wanted to say no, but couldn't bring himself to. He let her tug on his arm and followed her reluctantly down the street.

Ten minutes later he found himself sitting rather awkwardly on a couch, with three women fussing over him.

"You didn't even tell them you were leaving? They must be so worried!" Aerith put her fingertips to her mouth in surprise.

"That bad, huh? It's okay, you can stay here for a while if you need to. Or Leon would probably let you stay with him, if you don't want to be surrounded by girls all the time…" Yuffie couldn't help but giggle, and Aerith chided her.

"It's fine, stay as long as you need to." She sighed gently and looked at the clock.

"Well I'm exhausted, I'm going to bed. There's blankets right here for you, sorry we don't have a spare room… Goodnight, Riku." Aerith gave him a hug, and he watched her go rather awkwardly. He wasn't used to people being so friendly toward him.

"Yea, I'm gonna hit the hay, too. I had a long day. Tifa should be back soon. Don't mind her, she probably won't bug you. Night!" Yuffie waved quickly and started up the stairs, leaving Riku to sit uncomfortably in the living room.

**x:X:x**

He was sitting on the front step when Tifa finally came home. She stopped a few feet away and eyed him carefully.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked flatly.

He took the cigarette from his lips and glanced up at her, quickly noting the bottle of vodka in her hand.

"I'm Riku." He stated with a small grin. She leaned in closer and he watched as her eyes got wider.

"Riku? I remember you! You were just a kid last time I saw you, what happened?" She laughed softly and sat down next to him. He gave her an odd look and snickered.

"I saw you a couple of months ago…" He said quietly. She just laughed and shook her head.

"I heard you were kind of serious, but really… We call that a joke, lighten up kid." She grinned over at him and examined the side of his face as he leaned his head back and took a long drag from the cigarette.

"You don't look old enough to smoke." She said softly. Riku lowered his gaze and let his eyes slide over to her. What was her problem? Was she really so friendly that she was going to sit here until they got familiar? Well, he supposed she was probably drunk. And if not, then she was getting there in a hurry. He just smiled.

"I know people." He said simply. He wasn't quite old enough, he was a year too young and Cid had given him a pack before he left the man's house. Said he looked like he needed them. Which was true, he'd finished the last pack he bought on Destiny Islands on the trip here.

"I'll trade you this vodka for a cigarette."

He looked over at her sharply. What the hell kind of trade was that?

"Why?" He asked simply. Tifa grinned.

"Because you look like you could really use a drink."

He stared back ahead at the shadowed buildings around them. Drinking was for losers who were too pathetic to deal with the reality of their own lives. He thought about that for a long time while Tifa sat beside him silently.

"Yea, whatever." He tossed the pack into her lap, and she gently handed him the bottle.

"Have you ever been drunk before?" Tifa asked out of curiosity.

Riku held the bottle up to his nose and sniffed it. It smelled very much like rubbing alcohol, and he imagined that was how it was going to taste. Taking a deep breath, he leaned it back and managed to swallow several mouthfuls before his gag reflex began to kick in and he paused to keep from coughing.

"Nope. Gotta start sometime, right?" He winced slightly and grinned over at the older woman. She just laughed.

"I'm sorry, I'm being a terrible influence tonight." She waved a hand in the air beside his head, as if to pardon her. He just chuckled lightly to himself.

"Do you always come home drunk?" He asked quietly. Tifa didn't respond for a long time.

"No. Actually I always frowned on drinking until I came here." She whispered it, and Riku paused with the bottle at his lips to look over at her. She hadn't planned to continue, but when she glanced over and saw those amazingly blue eyes on her, she felt herself blush. For the first time in a long time, Tifa blushed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure you're in no mood to hear my sob story." She said lightly. Riku set the bottle down and the resulting clunk echoed off the walls around them. She felt her blush darken and couldn't help but feel a bit confused.

"If you don't want to talk about it that's okay…" He said softly.

She was quiet for a long time before she broke the silence once again.

"I've been in love with Cloud ever since we were children. He finally decided to tell me he didn't feel the same way, and never would…" She said so quietly Riku almost didn't catch it. "He wanted Aerith instead…" Tears started to well up in Tifa's eyes, and Riku thought quickly.

"Well…" He said cautiously, hoping she was a rational female. "Fuck him! Any guy that makes you cry isn't worth crying about." He said simply. Tifa paused mid sniffle to look over at him. The first thing he caught was the look that clearly said "you are full of shit…", and the second was the look of realization when she actually began to accept his words.

"…You think so?" She asked cautiously.

Riku nodded. "Yea I heard that somewhere. If a guy can't even have the decency to let you down gently, he's not worth wasting time over. I mean really, you're way better than second place! Come on…If he can't see what you're worth, he's just a shallow bastard and you can do way better." Riku stated.

Tifa thought for several long moments. Then she laughed.

"I suppose you're right." She giggled for a moment, despite Riku's confused looks. "Let's go inside, it's cold out here." He nodded as she lead the way.

It was at this point that he found them sitting on the couch together. She was staring uncharacteristically at the TV screen, and he couldn't help but stare at _her_…

After what seemed like ages, she looked over at him.

"Just what the fuck is your problem?" She asked sharply, and he realized at that moment just what kind of woman he was dealing with. Not that he had a problem with it…

"I walked in on my best friend having sex with the girl I've been in love with for the past few years…" He blurted out. He immediately wanted to slap a hand to his mouth, and couldn't figure out if he had or not as Tifa began laughing.

"You seriously haven't been drunk before… My god, that is _adorable_…" She murmured gently. He started to complain when she pressed the bottle to his lips again.

"I'm already shitfaced, it's only fair…" She said harshly, giving him a distant glare as her eyes glazed over slightly.

A stupid grin crossed his face and he let her force him to take another drink. Maybe being drunk wasn't so bad… It was really pretty interesting, he'd never felt this way before. Almost as if a cloud had picked him up and was giving him a tour of the universe from his seat on the couch. The sat together in silence watching old cartoons for a long time before he felt himself hit the cushions and could hear Tifa's adorable laugh echoing in his ears.

"You are such a child…" She giggled softly and swayed over to take the bottle from him. He grabbed for it pathetically and she chided him.

"I think you should wait a half hour or so, it is your first time and all. You don't want to get completely fucked up your first time! The hangovers are definitely not worth it." She said gently, helping him lean up again so he could stare blankly at the TV screen.

For the next few, long minutes all he could really do was stare at Tifa and think about how overwhelmingly beautiful she was.

"What the fuck was Cloud thinking?" He blurted out, suddenly unable to move his hands to cover his mouth. Tifa's head turned slowly to glare over at him, but her gaze softened as amusement washed over her.

"What?" Her voice was low and husky, and sent a shiver down Riku's spine.

"Um… You know… You're so beautiful, what the hell is wrong with Cloud that he wouldn't want to be with you?" He said bashfully. He really expected Tifa to hit him or something, but instead she just let out a low chuckle.

"Excuse me?"

Now he was really embarrassed. He cheeks flushed red and he knew by her expression that she had realized that.

"Oh god…" He mumbled, putting his head in his hands. What the hell did that alcohol do to him anyway? He couldn't keep his thoughts to himself!

"No, tell me what you meant. I'm all curious now!" She grinned widely at him and he felt himself melt a little more.

"I just meant… You're so pretty and you have such an energetic temperament…" He said seriously, his voice soft. Tifa just scoffed.

"An energetic temperament?" She couldn't help the entertained laugh escaped her lips and she pushed herself to her feet, bobbing slightly from the alcohol.

"Well now I need a smoke."

He followed her to the door, wondering what the fuck might be going on with his body that he couldn't even control himself.

When he finally made it to the door she had already lit up a cigarette and was taking drags from it as if nothing embarrassing had happened at all. He simply shrugged and accepted a new cigarette, taking a seat beside her and pulling out his lighter.

"So you ran away because your best friend was nailin' the girl you liked?" Tifa asked flatly. Riku almost coughed, but held himself back and simply nodded.

"Yea. I guess that's the jist of things…" He said simply, really uninterested in reliving the memories. Tifa nodded.

"Yea I've walked in on that too many times…" She said distantly. He glanced over at her, but she was absorbed in the cigarette she was smoking. She stared at it for a long time before putting it out on the sidewalk and staring over at him.

"I'm not gonna butter this up… But I will ask, are you a virgin?" Tifa stated seriously.

Riku's blood nearly ran cold. That was simply not something you asked on Destiny Islands… He found himself shaking his head anyway.

"Nah, I had a girlfriend for a while before the whole Kingdom Hearts incident… Don't tell Sora…" He said quietly. Tifa smiled.

She stared at him for a while and he shifted uncomfortably beneath her gaze. He had a hard time keeping his eyes focused on hers, the look on her face was so serious and determined.

"Uh… Why?" He finally found his voice and couldn't help but ask. Her expression softened slightly.

"I was still a virgin when I walked in on Cloud and Aerith. I guess you could say I'd been waiting for him, and it just hurt so much to know that everyone was moving on with their lives but me…" Her voice was low, and she glanced away to stare out into the darkness.

Riku wasn't sure what to say, or if there was anything he _could_ say to try and make her forget. The look of pain on her face deepened and he felt a slight surge of panic at her suddenly vulnerable state. When Kairi was upset, he had always left her to Sora… He mentally shook his head, letting himself slide into depression would definitely not be helpful. Thinking quickly, he tried to think of what he'd done to cheer up girls back on Destiny Islands whenever they were upset. His mind kept doubling back to one thing, and the more he tried to think about it, the less he could remember why it really wasn't something fit for the situation. Tifa's lips parted slightly and he could see the pain rising up to the surface. He'd let her think too much, and before the broken sob could escape her he reached forward and took her face gently in his hands.

She went perfectly still as he pressed his lips to hers. He moved gently, making up for the fact that she couldn't move at all, and after a few long moments waiting for rejection, he relaxed. He hesitated for a moment before deciding that it was working, and slid his tongue along her bottom lip.

All at once, Tifa shoved him away, unable to control the laughter bubbling up inside her. She paused suddenly when she looked up to see a smug look on Riku's face rather than the sting of rejection.

"What the hell was that?!" She choked out, brushing her fingers against her lips hesitantly. He just grinned for a moment and she felt her own amused smile break through.

"I was trying to distract you." He said simply.

She paused completely and stared at him, she knew she must have looked strange with that giddy smile on her face, and shook her head to try and clear her mind.

"Riku… How old are you?" She tried to compose herself, but that damn grin wouldn't go away.

He leaned back for a moment and contemplated lying to her. Instead, he met her eyes and smiled innocently.

"Seventeen." And she laughed.

"Let's go back in the house…" She mumbled, shaking her head as she stood up and wandered back to the door.

She hadn't realized he'd followed her until she heard the door click shut behind her, and he brushed past her to sit comfortably on the couch. He looked up at her expectantly and she wondered for a moment how he could keep himself so well composed. She glanced at the clock and sighed.

"I'd say it's probably time for one of us to go to bed, but it's not very late…" She said a bit awkwardly. His confidence was making her nervous. "And I suppose it would be rude to leave you down here by yourself, so…"

She wandered over to the TV and rushed to choose a movie. The moment it started playing she spun around and wandered over to find the bottle of vodka.

Riku was waiting patiently on the couch, obviously trying to be a gentleman to make up for violating her personal space. She stood in front of him for a moment, weighing her options. Finally, with a confident grin, she curled up against him on the couch. He didn't seem to mind at all, and she let his arm fall gently across her shoulders.

When Yuffie found them early the next morning Tifa was sprawled comfortably across Riku's chest while he was spread out on the couch.

Hollow Bastion was certainly going to be more interesting with Riku around…

**The End**


End file.
